Baltimorei

[gimmethesimplelife]

Maybe if your county had paid out $6M in settlements in just the last 4 years to people who were mistreated by the police it would have been a different situation.

+1000 Very good point. Rob

[flowerseverywhere]

+1000 Rob PS....Sheriff Joe's gotta go!!!!! Sorry, I couldn't resist this last.

Mr pink underwear has been elected six times. What is being done to change that? A lot of people like the way he rules. In order to change that a huge get out the vote campaign has to take place, and a qualified candidate has to run against him with overwhelming support of people who are not benefitting from his antics.

[gimmethesimplelife]

Mr pink underwear has been elected six times. What is being done to change that? A lot of people like the way he rules. In order to change that a huge get out the vote campaign has to take place, and a qualified candidate has to run against him with overwhelming support of people who are not benefitting from his antics.

All I can say about Sheriff Joe Arpaio is that he is a major embarrassment and an expensive one at that, costing taxpayers (though not many in my neighborhood, I'll grant that) in nicer areas costly settlements for his illegal actions. What is it with police behavior in general and to me, even more importantly, why has it taken THIS long to stand up to it? At least things are changing for the better now.....my take is that there is too much momentum now for another Sheriff Joe to happen or for victims of the police to not step forward and for the publicity and the big payday. It embarrasses me that as a nation it has taken this long for people to demand basic human rights supposedly granted by the law. Rob

[Gregg]

As I recall Sheriff Joe has been elected what? Six or seven times? Obviously there are more people in Maricopa County that like him than don't. Maybe there are other places to call home that would be more in line with certain victim orientated sensibilities. Or is the tyranny of the majority an example of (reverse) mob rule?

[Lainey]

As I recall Sheriff Joe has been elected what? Six or seven times? Obviously there are more people in Maricopa County that like him than don't. Maybe there are other places to call home that would be more in line with certain victim orientated sensibilities. Or is the tyranny of the majority an example of (reverse) mob rule?

Yes, those who vote in Maricopa County (not the majority of those who live here, by any means) are more likely Republican than Democrat. And that means that even if Jesus came back as a Democrat, as a friend's parents once said to her, they would still vote Republican. That's how he has managed to stay in office. That, and the fear-mongering about illegal immigrants that ramped up wildly after the Great Recession of 2008.

But "victim oriented sensibilities"?? Tell that to the children and women in El Mirage AZ whose complaints of molestation and rape were ignored by Sheriff Joe for years. He used the money the town paid to grandstand about finding and arresting illegals. To this day those people in El Mirage have not seen justice. And yes, that's tyranny by someone with a badge. http://www.kpho.com/story/18794378/f...hed-mcso-cases

[gimmethesimplelife]

Yes, those who vote in Maricopa County (not the majority of those who live here, by any means) are more likely Republican than Democrat. And that means that even if Jesus came back as a Democrat, as a friend's parents once said to her, they would still vote Republican. That's how he has managed to stay in office. That, and the fear-mongering about illegal immigrants that ramped up wildly after the Great Recession of 2008.

But "victim oriented sensibilities"?? Tell that to the children and women in El Mirage AZ whose complaints of molestation and rape were ignored by Sheriff Joe for years. He used the money the town paid to grandstand about finding and arresting illegals. To this day those people in El Mirage have not seen justice. And yes, that's tyranny by someone with a badge. http://www.kpho.com/story/18794378/f...hed-mcso-cases

Lainey, as much as I find Sheriff Joe revolting, repugnant and overall a disgustingly sorry excuse for a Sheriff, I did not know of these issues in El Mirage. I will do some Internet Digging and Thank You for posting this. Rob

[Gregg]

Yes, those who vote in Maricopa County (not the majority of those who live here, by any means) are more likely Republican than Democrat. And that means that even if Jesus came back as a Democrat, as a friend's parents once said to her, they would still vote Republican. That's how he has managed to stay in office. That, and the fear-mongering about illegal immigrants that ramped up wildly after the Great Recession of 2008.

Whatever Sheriff Joe has done or not done is, for this argument, irrelevant. You state that the majority of people living in Maricopa County don't vote. Does that mean we should base all our policy decisions on what we perceive as the desires of large groups who are too apathetic to use their own voices? If the situation is so bad and negatively impacts so many people it should be the easiest thing in the world to organize a campaign to oust the Sheriff. Apparently there just aren't enough people who think its a big enough problem to do something as simple as voting for someone else. If the sheriff's department went after anyone or any group that campaigned against it that would be one thing, but since there is no real threat aimed at the would-be opposition (every non-voting democrat in Maricopa County) I don't see how you can fly the tyranny flag.

[iris lilies]

Whatever Sheriff Joe has done or not done is, for this argument, irrelevant. You state that the majority of people living in Maricopa County don't vote. Does that mean we should base all our policy decisions on what we perceive as the desires of large groups who are too apathetic to use their own voices? If the situation is so bad and negatively impacts so many people it should be the easiest thing in the world to organize a campaign to oust the Sheriff. Apparently there just aren't enough people who think its a big enough problem to do something as simple as voting for someone else. If the sheriff's department went after anyone or any group that campaigned against it that would be one thing, but since there is no real threat aimed at the would-be opposition (every non-voting democrat in Maricopa County) I don't see how you can fly the tyranny flag.

i was wondering, too, how rob wasn't involved in that county expense of lawsuit payoffs when it seems to be his county. I went down the wrong rabbit hole, thinking maybe maricopa co is separate for his city, like in my city/county jurisdiction.

[bae]

i was wondering, too, how rob wasn't involved in that county expense of lawsuit payoffs when it seems to be his county. I went down the wrong rabbit hole, thinking maybe maricopa co is separate for his city, like in my city/county jurisdiction.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has an active Civilian Observer/Ride-Along program, you can call the office and schedule, drop by and fill out the waiver, and off you go. Rob could ride along, with his cell phone, and make sure things are on the up-and-up. But Rob admits he's uncomfortable even being in the same restaurant as a police officer, so sitting in the front seat of a car with one might be a trigger.

[bae]

I don't see how you can fly the tyranny flag.

Tyranny would seem to require an affirmative act. The case of the Sheriff not investigating some crimes seems more aptly described as negligence, or abandonment of duty.